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Santa Fe County is excited to announce an opportunity for residents to participate in the annual backyard composting program. This is a continuation of the County’s commitment to provide support for sustainable practices that County residents can implement at home. The Santa Fe County Sustainability Division is extending its partnership with Reunity Resources to offer free composting systems on a first come, first served basis to Santa Fe County residents who are currently customers of the County’s solid waste convenience centers. Applications will be accepted until 5:00 p.m. on March 31, 2023, and will be considered upon receipt.

Composting is a process by which organic materials, such as food scraps and yard trimmings, are “recycled” into a rich soil amendment. In 2018, over one-third of municipal solid waste in the United States consisted of food and yard trimmings. The goal of the Santa Fe County backyard composting program is to divert organic material from the landfill. This saves residents time and money needed to transport trash to County convenience centers, reduces the greenhouse gas emissions generated from landfills, and produces a soil amendment to help plants flourish.

Applicants must be a resident of Santa Fe County with a valid County solid waste permit. This typically means that the applicant does not have a curbside trash pick-up service and instead disposes of their trash and recycling at one of the County’s six solid waste convenience centers.

The backyard composting program is intended for residents who do not currently compost. Exceptions will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Applicants who are selected for the program may choose between a black plastic composting system or a straw bale composting system. Compost system installations and scheduling will be provided in the following months by Reunity Resources.

Visit the Santa Fe County Sustainability Division website for more information and to apply to the program.

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